Flue-cleaner.



No. 894,538. lPATENTED JULY 28, 1908. I G. wrdn E. L-.'RUOKER. PLUB CLEANER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12.1907.

' UNITED e sfrnrns PATENT orrron.

GEORGE W. RUCKER AND EDWARD L. RUCKER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

FLUE -CLE ANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGEW. RUCKER and EDWARD L. RUCKER, of Minneapolis, Hennepin county, Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flue-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide a flue cleaner in which the spiral or rotary action of the steam jet can be utilized for thor- 1plughly cleaning the interior surfaces of the ues.

The invention consists generally in providing a flue cleaner head having a central steam jet or nozzle and an opening around said nozzle through which air is drawn through the center of the flue.

Further, the invention consists in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

ln the accompanying drawings forming part of this s ecification, Figurel 1 is a sectional view o one end of a flue showing our improved flue cleaner therein. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a cleaner head. Fig. 3 is an end view, and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view.

ln the drawing, 2 represents a flue, 3 the flue sheet and 4 the steam sup ly pipe through which steam is admitte shank 5 of the cleaner head 6. This head consists of a disk like casting having a beveled end surface 7 and ports 8 in said surface communicating with assages 9 which lead back through the head) to the shank 5. The

ports 8 are so arranged in the end of the ead, as indicated in Fig. 3, that the jets of steam discharged therefrom will be directed s irally against the surface of the flue as inicated by the arrows in Fig. 1.

The cleaner head has a central opening 10 with passages 11 on each side leading thereto and a pipe 12 is centrally arranged inthe opening 10 and has one end fitting into a wall 13 in the rear of the opening 10 and concentric with the shank 5 and the steam supply pipe 4. When steam is admitted through the ipe 4- it will rush into the pi e 12 and be ischarged therefrom along t e middle line of the flue. A portion of the steam will pass out through the passages 9 andthe ports 8 and be directed thereby against the wall of the flue. The flowing of the steam through thepipe 12 will create sufficient suction to draw in the air through to the the effect of holding the spiral jets of steam outwardly against the flue surface and hastening their passage through the flue, thereby shortenin to a considerable degree the time require for cleaning a flue. We have found from actual test that the introduction of this air shaft through the center of the .flue will not only cause the jets of steam to more thoroughly clean the fiue surface but will to a very marked extent hasten the passage of the steam jets through the flue. ln other wordsthe shaft of air seems to have the effect of drawing the steam spirals after it through the flue from one end to the other where generally the steam spirals are held back or cushioned .by the pressure of the air in front of them. All this objection to the spiral jets as employed in flue cleaners of the ordinary type we have avoided by the introduction of this lar e air shaft directly through the center of t e flue. The head will be made in dierent sizes to fit different flues and the ports in the periphery of the head and the suction nozzle can be varied in size according to the' ressure of the steam.

We c aim as our invention:

1. A flue cleaner comprising a head having a shank for attachment to a steam supdply pipe, laterally extending nozzles provide in said head and communicating with said shank, said passages terminating in Aports through which the steam passes and is directed spirally against the wall of the flue, a tube centrally mounted in said head in line with said shank and forming a suction nozzle and said head having an opening around said nozzle and through which opening air is drawn by the suction of the steam passing through said nozzle, the said air forming a shaft that is inclosed by the spirals. from said ports. 1

2. A flue cleaner comprising a head 6 having a hollow shank 5 for attachment to a steam supply ipe, said head being provided with a beveled surface 7 at its forward end and laterally extending passages communie cating with said shank and having ports 8 in said beveled surface, said ports being arranged to direct the steam spiral against the inner surface of the flue and said head having a central opening 10 and air passages 11 and said head and having its rear end mounted in the center of the` flue, suhstantiallygas de if) the inner wall of the passages 9 in line subscribed.

stantially with the axis of said shank and In witness whereof7 we have hereunto set the forward end of said ipe terminating at our hands this 31st day of July 1907.

Y the forward end of said ead and forming a GEORGE W. RUCKER.

nozzle through which the steam is directed EDWARD L. RUCKER. centrally through the flue and whereby a Witnesses: suction will be formed and a shaft of air J. B. ERA,

drawn through the passages 11 and through J. B. BYINGTON. 

